tremolo picking
A guitar and mandolin technique involving extremely rapid alternate picking of a single note or string
In Depth
Tremolo picking produces a sustained, buzzing tone by alternating pick strokes as rapidly as possible. On the mandolin, where notes decay quickly due to the short string length, tremolo picking is essential for sustaining melodic lines — it is the instrument's equivalent of a bowed tone. In electric [guitar](/term/electric%20guitar), tremolo picking at extreme speeds is a signature technique of metal and shred guitar styles. The technique requires exceptional pick control and forearm endurance.
The mandolin tremolo is so central to the instrument's identity that Beethoven, who wrote a mandolin sonatina, used it extensively despite the instrument's reputation as a folk instrument.